campus
UK[ˈkæmpəs]US[ˈkæmpəs]
n
The grounds and buildings of a university or college.
n
A university or college seen as an academic and social environment.
Morpheme Breakdown
camp
us
camp
field
us
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'campus' entered English directly from Latin in the late 18th century, specifically from American academic contexts. In Latin, 'campus' originally meant a 'flat field' or 'plain', famously referring to the Campus Martius (Field of Mars) in ancient Rome, which was used for military exercises and public assemblies. This sense of an open, communal ground was metaphorically adopted by early American colleges like Princeton to describe their expansive grounds. Over time, the meaning expanded from just the physical land to encompass the entire institutional and social environment of a university.
Analysis
Structure: camp (field) + us (noun suffix)
camp (Latin: 'field', 'open space'); us (Latin: masculine noun suffix, indicating state or condition).
Examples
The new science building will be constructed on the north side of the campus.
Life on campus offers students many opportunities to join clubs and societies.
The university has several campuses located in different cities across the state.